Automatic pencil-sharpener.



No. 804,600. PATENTED JULY 28, 1908,

L. B-. GHADWIGK. v

AUTOMATIC PENCIL SHARPENER.

APPLICATION PILED'NOV. 2. 190

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A TTOHNE YS No. 894,600. PATENTED JULY 28, 1908. L. B. GHADWIGK.

AUTOMATIC PENCIL SHARPENER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. Z. 1907.

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` w/TNESSES' A TTOHNEYS LEONARD B. CHADWICK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC PENCIL-SHARPENER.

Specication. of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1908.

Application filed November 2, 1907. Serial No. 400,342.

vented a new and Improved Automatic Pencil-Sharpener, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

The purpose of this invention is to provide novel details of construction for a pencil sl'larp'cner, preferably operated by elec tricity, andwhich will produce a iine tapered point on the pencil, the act of placing a pencil in the machine starting the same and continuing the operation until the pencil is removed.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and defined in the ap'- pendcd claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which-similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, showing parts adjusted by an insertion of a pencil for closing an electric circuit and starting the cutting mechanism that operates thereon; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the improved pencil Sharpener, having a pencil inserted therein; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional side view of the machine, substantially on the line 3 3 '1n-Fi 1; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view o details of the machine, substantially on the line 4 4 in Fig. 5; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the Sharpener device,` showing the relative positions of parts whenlnot in operation, and Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view, substantially on the line 6-6 in Fi 3.

ln the drawings, 10 indicates an electric motor of any `improved construction, the details of which it is not necessary to illustrate and describe further than the power transmitting means thereon which will hereinafter be further mentioned.

Upon a side wall of the motor casing a bracket frame 11 is secured, andl integral therewith is a horizontal plateflike formation 11, having a (preferably circular edge and a central depen in hub c, the plate and hub having a central ore therein.

An internal gear 12 is securedupon the lower side of the bracket plate 11, concentric with the hub a, the teeth of said gear beinr slightly beveled toward their lower ends for a purpose that will be hereinafter explained.

A bevel gear 13, of considerable diameter and preferably having its teeth upon the upper side thereof, is formed or secured upon an elongated hollow spindle 13a that depends centrally from the lower side of the gear and has a radial flange 13u formed on its lower portion.

Upon the casing of the motor 10, an arln 14 is secured, which projects laterally and at the outer end thereof terminates in a step box 14a that receives support fromapost 14b resting on the same base with the motor 10.

' In the step box 14a, is rotatably seated the reduced lower end or point b of the spindle 13a, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and a washer b for reducing friction is placed between the spindle and step box 14a. An annular flange c is formed upon the upper side of the bevel gear 13, concentric with its rim, and upon said flange is rotatably seated the true counterboard lower end of a sleeve 15, that is cylindrical in its body and at the upper end thereof is bedded and secured in an annular recess a, formed in the lower end of the hub a, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3. The bore in the spindle 13a is conical, Converging downwardly, as shown in Fig. 3 at d, said conical bore extending from the annular flange c to the radial ilange 13b, and as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, one side diof said. spindle is cut out from the lower end thereof to a point near the lower side of the bevel gear 13, thus forming a lateral opening into the conical bore d of the spindle.

A guide tube 16 having two opposed resilient jaws e, at or near each end thereof, is fitted closely at its longitudinal center in the sleeve 15, the upper pair of jaws extending a distance above the bracket plate 11, 'said jaws having their inner corners convexed to permit the free insertion of the blunt end of a lead pencil A downward through the same, as indicated in Fig. 2.

Upon the gear wheel 13 is mounted a bowshaped bracket and arm 17, and secured at its spaced ends, said arm inclining outward and having at the crown of its bent portion a perforation therein. the radial flange 13", opposite the flat side of the spindle 13, an inclined face is formed, and in said inclined face a socket f is produced.` A cylindrical cutter shaft 18 is -formed at one end with a journal or point f', that is stepped into the socket formed to On the upper sidev of receive it in the radial flange 13b, as shown in Fig. 3. rl`he shaft 18 is inclined outward, and passes loosely up through the bevel gear 13 and then through a perforation in the crown of the bracket arm 17, that serves as a bearing box therefor, a collar g being mounted and adj ustably secured on the shaft below said crown, and between the latter and the collar one or more anti-friction washers g are preferably introduced.

The shaft 18 extends a distance above the bracket arm 17, and upon the upper end thereof a spur pinion 18a is mounted and secured, which meshes with the teeth of the internal gear 12, that converge so as to perf mit free rotatable movement of the pinion. A cutter head 19, consisting of an elongated barrel having a central longitudinal bore and a plurality of spiral cutter blades h, is mounted and removably secured upon the shaft 18 by means of set screws i, and as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the cutter head rests upon anti-friction washers f2 that are mounted upon the point f of the shaft 18 and contact with the beveled upper curface of the radial flange 13b and the lower end of said cutter head.

The diameter of the cutter head and relative position had by the shaft 18, locates the cutting edges of said cutter head slightly within the coniform bore d of the spindle 13a.

A bevel pinion 20, secured on a shaft, not shown, that projects from the motor 10, meshes with the bevel gear 13, as shown in Fig. 2, and it will be obvious that a rotation of the pinion by the motor will correspondinglly rotate the gear 13 and the spindle 13a.

pon the frame 11, a bloclr m, formed of material that is a non-conductor of electricity, is secured, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and upon said block one end of a current conducting wire m, is secured by a screw n, the head of which forms a contact point, and preferably the wire m is positive in sign.

@n the bracket plate 1'1 a, at a suitable point, a switch arm o is pivoted between its ends, as indicated at o in lligs. 1 and 5. Upon an end portion of the switch arm o,

that is furthest from the center of the bracket.

plate 11a, one end of a negative conductor wire p is secured by a metal screw 5o', that passes through the and through one e-` of a resilient finger plate p2, thus securing f latter upon said arm. "lfhe linger plate p2, that a conductor l electricity, is its end positioned near the contact point a, and is normally held away fro n it by a sprinf" that at its ends respectively switch arm o and brach 'L e 11, as sho "i mg. 5, andntrs electr i' season toward the jaws e on the guide tube 16, and projects between them, the spring r serving to enforce such an adjustment of the toe, as shown iii-Figs. l and 5. The toe o2 is sloped on its upper side frprn the arm o, to the free end thereof, and normally projects between the clamping jaws c, so as to partly occupy the passage therebetween.

ln operation, assuming that the motor 10 is in effective condition, the normally open circuit between the 'terminals of its conductin wires, will be closed upon pressing the cydndrical wooden body of an ordinary load pencil A down between the jaws e on the guide tube 15, as this will press on the toc o2 and rock the switch arm 0 so as to inipinge the contact ringer p2 upon the contact point n, and start the motor in operation so as to rotate the pinion 20. llt will be seen that the rotary motion of the pinion 2O will turn the gear 13 at a slow speed, and the shaft 18 will receive orbital motion, which will cause the pinion 18a to traverse the circular path of the teethof the internal gear 1.2 and thus be caused to rotatera idly. rlhe rotation of the pinion 18a and shaft 18 will correspondingly rotate the cutter head 1Q, in a proper direction for a shear cutting action on the wooden body of the pencil A, that by its insertion down in the guide tube 16, is held op- 9 posite the cutter head.

the pencil has never been sharpened, its insertion should be graduated so that the wood will be removed by the cutter blades in thin shari/ings, that will rapidly give a conically tapered form to the body, and correspondingly to the lead core of the pencil, this being due to the bodily rotation of the spindle and cutter head 19 around the stationary pencil, the independent rapid rotary movement of said cutter head.

-llfhen tne pencil has been sharpened to gire it a Aline point, it may be removed from the clamping jaws e by an upward pull, and when so removed switcl' arm o will assuine its n al adjustment due to the stress of the spring r, which will open the circuit and sto ne machine.

` described my invention, desire to secure by Letter lll) blade having spiral blades that project slightly into the conical bore of the spindle, and means for rotatably supporting the shaft.

2. The combination with a stationary bracket frame, an internal ear carried by said frame, a hollow. spindl ported from the internal gear and having a conical bore, means for guiding a pencil into said conical bore, said spindle having a lateral opening that intersects its bore, a bevel gear on the spindle, a lateral projection on the lower portion of the spindle; and means for rotating said gear, of a cutter shaft rotatably supported at its lower end in said projection from the lower portion of the spindle, a pinion on the upper end of said s aft and meshed with the internal gear, and a cutter head having blades that roject slightly into lthe bore of the spindle t rough the lateral opening therein.

3. The combination with a stationary bracket frame, an internal gear carried by said frame, a sleeve depending from said gear, a hollow spindle having a conical bore, said spindle having a lateral opening therein, a

guide tube having resilient jaws and held in the sleeve, a bevel gear secured on the spind1e,and means for rotating 'said "gear,""of a cutter shaft, a lateral projection on the lowerv ortion of the spindle wherein the cutter sha-ft 1s stepped at its lower end, an arm on the bevel gear projected upward andoutward,

said arm having a perforation in its upper p'ortion that receives the cutter shaft and af- -fords support thereto,

a pinion secured on the upper end of the cutter shaft that meshes with the internal gear, and a cutter head securable on the shaft, and having a plurality of spiral blades that project slightly into the lateral opening. in the hollow spindle.

4., The combination with an electric motor, and a laterally supported pinion rotated by the motor, of a pencil Sharpener, comprising a bracket frame projected laterally-from the motor, an internal gear fixed on. said frame, a hollow spindle loosely connected with the internal gear, and supported for rotation thereon, said spindle having a conical bore and a lateral opening thereinto, a vertical guide tube fixed centrally in the internal gear, said guide tube having spaced clamp'- ing jaws adapted for clasping a pencil, a cutter device having eared connection with the internal gear, am? positioned at the side of the opening in the spindle, a bevel ear iXed on the spindle and meshing with t 'e pinion carried by the motor, the latter lbeing normally in open circuit, which circuit is closed and the motor energized upon an insertion of a pencil down throu h the 'clasping jaws and into engagement wit thecutting device. j In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribin witnesses. t

LEgONARD B. CHADWICK. Witnesses:

EDWARD O. BURCKES, JOHN E. KEATING. 

